Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-05-25
FIRE IN SOUTH BUTTE.
The Pioneer Hotel Block Goes Up in
Flames Gallant Efforts Save the
Warehouses Opposite.

Warehouses Opposite.
About IL O'Clock last night the blowini
of whistles in Butte announced fire il
progress and the brilliant light in tn,
southern sky soon revealed its where
abouts. On arrival in South Butte it wat
, seen that the fire had taken hold in tht
block containing the Pioneer Hotel, thu
Keystone Hotel, W. T. Shirley's grocery il
which was the South Butt,
postofice, small candy store ad
joining, Smith & Beck's store, C
Smit his saloon and Martins saloon. Tn,
loon, and " hen the reporter reached the
ground the whole block was doomed. The
Pioneer Hotel was in flames, and q lot oi
men were actively engaged in removing
furniture and contents from the adjoining
buildings, which soon after caught and
were reduced to ashes. The fire was
VERY HOT ONE,
and the adjoining buildings on all sides
were soon smoking, and efforts were princi.
pally directed to dashing water on them,
covering them with wet blankets, and EN-.
ploying every means to prevent them
catching from the terrific heat. The most
danger, of course, was to the warehouses
across Front street from the
burning buildings. They were
the large implement ware
house OF the Bennett Brothers. H. L..
Franks Milwaukee beer storehouse and,
most dangerous of all. the oil storehouse
of Mr.. Richards, which. if it once caught
fire, would have created conf1agration
that would have wiped the whole town out.
By almost
sUPERHUMAN ExERTIoNs
and in the front of q fierce heat that
it was more than human endurance could
bear to withstand, agallant relay Of men
buised themselves removing the valuable
contents OF the Bennett warehouse and
unflinchingly braved the fierce heat from
across the street pouring water upon the
Frank and Richards warehouses
until all danger was past. Several times the
Frank building caught and the smoke
rose dangerously from the fronts of the
Others, but mans determination cor.
quered. and they were saved. The goods
saved from the hotels were some of them
left in front OF the burning buildings in the
street, and soon
THE INTENSE HEAT
reduced them to ashes before they could be
A lot of groceries belonging to
Shirley we're saved, though how much he had
no idea. He valued his stock at 5000
and the amount saved was, much of it,
by removal. The warehouse in
the rear of his store was filled with nearly
2 900 sacks of oats belonging to Bennett
Bros, Of which only few were removed ere
the fire reached them. The engines OF
the Montana Union drew the cars
on the track to place OF safety
and returned to render aid to the freight
ing brigade by bringing water from the
water tank to the rear OF the threatened
warehouses, where 8 line of buckets we're
passed to the men on the roofs and in front
Of the warehouses, who
DASHED 1T ON THE BUILDINGS,
thereby saving them from a similar fate to
those in front. Electrician Tobey, at immi-
nent risk, saved an electrical lamp on pole
1T the corner of the street Mr.. Shirley was
uninsured, his policies having been
some time ago. The pro-
orietor of the Pioneer Hotel was
5he owner of the New York Restaurant On
East Park street which was burned out
couple OF months ago. The contents of the
South Butte Postoffice in Shirley's store
we're saved. A great deal of unselfish
1eroism was displayed by all the male
Of the place and everyone seemed
10 do his utmost as if it were q common
;ause.
LOSSES AND INSURANCE.
George F. Marsh has insurance on the
Pioneer Hotel to the amount of $500.
Mantle & Warren on e. s. Smiths building
or 5000.
Billy Martin had no insurance. He lost
b1O7 in cash.
1. B. Pace who kept the Keystone Hotel,
lad no insurance. He lost every thing.
The building OF W. T. Shirley belongs to
Contractor McSherry. There was no in
'urance on the building.
Larson, of Bennett Bros, first saw the
ire and broke in the door of c. s. Smith.
ae found the blaze issuing from the roof.